18 entrepreneurs who built a brand on Youtube (and what you can learn from them)

These days it seems like everyone has a Youtube channel. Spend five minutes poking around and you’ll find content from gamers, makeup artists, and home chefs as well as business professionals, entrepreneurs, and marketers. An easy platform for business advice, lifestyle and travel guidance—even grandma’s not-so-secret chocolate cake recipe— it’s no surprise that Youtube is one of the most prominent marketing tools out there today.

Why use Youtube to build your brand?

Youtube allows entrepreneurs to present themselves in a variety of unique and creative ways. People want good content fast and watching a short video is way more time efficient—and cost efficient—than reading a long article or traveling to an industry conference. And Youtube has basically no limit on the way you use the platform (within reason, of course) which makes the possibilities for showcasing content nearly endless. Yes, the Tube is the perfect vehicle for establishing a one-of-a-kind brand identity.

Ok, so YouTube is a genius brand-building tool, but how to you make it your genius brand-building tool? You study the ways of those who have done it before you! Here, we’ve handpicked 18 awesome entrepreneurs who have used Youtube to transform their brand into something incredible. Check out how they set themselves apart and take notes!

Business and financial coaching channels
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Gillian Perkins is a marketing strategist for online entrepreneurs. Or as she likes to put it “I design killer marketing systems that make sales start rolling in.” You can check out her Youtube channel here.

Audience

Business professionals or entrepreneurs looking to build a successful online business.

What sets this channel apart?

Gillian Perkins combines awesome business tips with a winning personality, which makes it easy for her to build a relationship with her viewers. According to Gillian, the best piece of advice she can offer people looking to build a memorable brand online is: “Be uniquely you. But, once you’ve checked that box, the best thing you can do is to name things. When you develop a framework, a concept, or a step-by-step plan—give it a name! Naming your ideas and products … sets them apart and makes them stand out, especially in a crowded marketplace.”

“Without a doubt, I can say that YouTube is the #1 factor of my business’s success over the past two years, Gillian explains. “I use it to get visibility, demonstrate my expertise, and consistently generate leads. Specifically, I use it to share valuable free content and promote my opt-in offers. Once my subscribers opt-in to my email list, I’m able to really get to know them and build a strong relationship.”

What can you learn from her?

Each video should have a clear goal and contain actionable tips. Your followers should come away with a key takeaway from each video you upload. Decide on this before you create your content and stay focused on this throughout.

Communicate your website and what you offer. You probably have a website. If not, now is the time to get one. Your site should be clearly communicated on your YouTube channel, making it easily accessible to your followers.

Promote your other channels and build relationships. Gillian mentions her social media channels in her Youtube content. This enables her to get more eyes on her material and allows followers to interact with her.

Sugar Mamma TV, run by financial advisor Canna Campbell, aims to provide followers with tips and ideas that will lead them to financial freedom. The channel aims to educate, inspire and empower women to achieve financial independence. Take a peek here and follow her on Instagram.

Audience

What sets this channel apart?

The amount of work, attention to detail and focus on consistency really sets Sugar Mamma TV’s channel apart from the competition. Canna’s advice for anyone looking to start a Youtube channel is simple: “Be prepared to put a lot of time into it. So many people jump into starting a blog, but give up a few months into it. It has taken me 3.5 years to get where I am. I have sacrificed weekends, early mornings and late nights.”

When we asked Canna about engagement with her audience, she responded: “I ask them directly through my social media channels, what do they want to hear about? You have to listen to what your audiences wants and likes. Engagement is essential.”

Just like Gillian Perkins, Canna lets her personality shine through in her videos. She mentions her son and dog in her videos and looks at viewers on an eye-to-eye-level.

What can you learn from her?

Pick a niche. Sugar Mamma TV focuses specifically on women looking for financial empowerment. Having a clear niche makes it easier to narrow your focus and hit the key points for that target group.

Consistency is crucial. Canna’s audience knows what to expect in each next video. Her consistency in content and delivery is apparent in each video. This helps her audience to better understand what they are watching.

If you have books, blogs or other content relevant to your business, promote them. The more eyes you have on your other channels or products, the more exposure you’ll get.

Carrie Green is a law student come entrepreneur who sets out to give her followers advice on how to establish a business on a small budget. In 2011 she founded the Female Entrepreneur Association with the objective of finding like-minded and motivated women with the same goals. Check out her channel here.

Audience

Women looking to start their own business from the ground up.

What sets this channel apart?

Carrie Green’s channel mixes a combination of actionable tips, how-tos, tutorials, interviews and personal vlogs to keep things interesting and informative. Her videos have clear goals and provide followers with actionable “how to” steps. To keep things interesting, Carrie also brings in guests and provides additional resources like worksheets for her followers.

Using powerful motivational language, clear tips and high-quality imagery in her videos, Carrie looks to not only explain but demonstrate what being a successful entrepreneur means. If that doesn’t get your inspirational juices flowing, I don’t know what will!

“Undoubtedly one of the biggest trends we have seen so far is to get up close and personal with your audience” Carrie explains. “Your audience is like the engine of your car in that the business won’t be moving forward without them. Putting yourself on a personal level and actively engaging with them means you will build a level of familiarity that keeps them interested in what you’re offering.”

What can you learn from her?

Create a teaser video that motivates and inspires. First impressions are everything! When someone lands on Carrie Green’s channel, the first video available motivates people to follow their dreams straight away.

Keep things personable and entertaining. Just like the channels above, Carrie keeps her videos very approachable. Vlogs make her content entertaining and help her audience get on a personal level with her.

Think about the layout and design of your videos. Carrie uses bright colors and positive, motivational imagery to show followers what they can achieve with the help of her videos. Look to do the same with your own!

Break things down into actionable steps. If you promise something in the title of your video, ensure this is what your audience will be able to achieve after viewing it. Carrie does a fantastic job of making things easy to follow with actionable steps in each video.

Lifestyle channels
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Lavendaire is a lifestyle blogger based in Los Angeles. Her goal is to help her followers create a meaningful life based on creativity, travel, music and connection. Dive into her channel here.

Audience

Anyone looking for a more fulfilling life.

What sets her channel apart?

This channel stands out immediately with its beautiful design and brand style. Lavendaire uses bright pastel colors throughout her videos, which allows her to maintain a consistent brand identity, while at the same time creating an all around positive vibe.

The videos on her page flow smoothly from scene to scene and her editing is really professional. Displaying content in this way helps build trust with an audience that expects high-quality content. On top of that, Lavendaire has a uniquely fresh and inspiring style. Her bright and vibrant look stands out in a crowd. This style also carries over into her blog, leading to a strong, consistent brand identity across her work.

Lavendaire’s advice for anyone looking to build a memorable brand online? “Be confident in yourself, find your voice and style and execute it in a way that only you can!”

What can you learn from her?

Create a consistent brand identity. If you have a blog or other social media channels, ensure your color scheme, fonts and style are consistent with your channel. If you have followers crossing over from your blog or social media channels, you’ll want them to know they’re in the right place when they land on your Youtube channel.

If you want to be the part, then you’ll have to look the part. If you are not a video editing or design specialist, don’t be afraid to get help, but if you feel confident enough to go it alone, ensure your editing and delivery are as professional as possible, especially if you are selling a particular service. Displaying things in a clean, fresh and professional manner will establish trust with your audience and entice them into learning more about what you have to offer.

Ingrid Nilsen shares lifestyle advice on a wide range of topics. With a channel that has evolved over time and has become extremely influential, it’s no wonder she has skyrocketed to more than 3.8 million subscribers. Check out what all the fuss is about here.

Audience

Anyone looking to forge their own lifestyle path and learn to be themselves.

What sets her channel apart?

Ingrid Nilsen is unique because of how her channel has evolved over time. She is proof that hard work pays off! Ingrid started a channel with a beauty and makeup focus back in 2009 and has since evolved into a lifestyle channel that helps her audience learn to be themselves.

Ingrid comes across as genuine and authentic. This is especially important when building a lifestyle channel. Ingrid gets personal and honest with her subscribers while covering topics that really matter to her—which is the key to her channel’s success.

Her personality is her brand and her optimistic and positive attitude is visible in each of her videos. So remember: There’s no better way to showcase your brand than doing so with your own personality!

What can you learn from her?

Be genuine and authentic. If lifestyle is your thing, coming across as authentic is vital. Your subscribers will be looking for these traits in your personality, brand and delivery, so be sure to give it to them.

Don’t be afraid to evolve. Just because you started your channel with a certain focus does not mean you can’t keep growing until you find what’s right for your brand.

Understand that building a successful Youtube channel takes time. Ingrid has been working on her channel for almost 10 years now. Her channel has grown with her personality and now her brand is clearly identifiable to millions of subscribers. Perseverance and determination will go a long way in helping you build your channel into something spectacular.

Born and raised in Canada but living in London, Estée Lalonde releases lifestyle and beauty videos along with fun vlogs on her channel. Take a look here.

Audience

Anyone looking for advice and entertaining vlogs on lifestyle, makeup, beauty and life in general.

What sets her channel apart?

Like we saw with Ingrid Nilsen above, Estée’s Youtube channel is unique because of her quirky personality.

She produces beautiful, perfectly edited, high-quality videos along with casual and personal vlogs. Estee is well spoken and seems comfortable and genuine in front of the camera. Her open and authentic style of delivery makes it easy for subscribers to relate to her.

She has also extended her channel by collaborating with big brands, writing a book and—most recently—creating her own jewellery collection. Additional projects are great ways to build upon your success and open up more channels for growing your brand and communicating your ideas.

What can you learn from her?

It’s all about the delivery. Getting the design and delivery of your video content right is crucial when it comes to building a successful brand. Professional editing and authentic, engaging delivery will give your channel the professional look it deserves and go a long way to setting you apart from the more amateur competition.

Extend your channel. If you have written a book, created content elsewhere or have a super awesome collaboration going on, cross-flaunt this on your channel! Exposure is everything when it comes to building a strong following of subscribers, so look to get as many eyes as possible on everything you’ve created.

Travel channels
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Kristen & Siya are a couple who started “Hopscotch the Globe” as a channel aimed at encouraging subscribers to travel the world. Their channel features awesome hacks on issues such as “how to select the right backpack”, or “how to pack better”. Take a look at their crafty creation here.

Audience

Anyone looking for travel tips or inspiration to get off their butt and travel the world!

What sets their channel apart?

Working as a couple, Kristen & Siya offer advice on traveling alone or as a couple. This allows them to appeal to a wider audience and be diverse in the advice they offer.

Kristen and Siya create beautifully crafted and professionally edited videos, using drones and intelligent camera work. They deliver videos that truly showcase the beauty of the world and the excitement of traveling. If you aren’t already inspired to travel, a quick visit to their channel will certainly change that.

Their channel perfectly reflects their personalities. Tune in to a few of their videos and it’s easy to feel like you get to know them on a personal level. As we’ve seen with many of the Youtube influencers above, this is simply essential if you want to develop a relationship with your subscribers.

When we asked them how they create content that resonates with their audience, Kristen and Siya told us: “By being real. Showing the great and not so great aspects of travel and life. People want to watch someone they relate to or something that inspires and resonates with them. That’s the kind of content we aim to create.”

What can you learn from them?

Give your content your own unique twist. “Offer a service that people are needing, but with your own flavor. If you want to create a travel brand, you won’t be the first or the last. What is it about travel and yourself that you can use to stand out from the rest?”

Consistency in releasing videos is essential. Your followers will be looking for regularly updated content. So keep going and upload regularly.

Make diverse content. Kristen and Siya’s Youtube channel has a video for almost any question a person in need of travel advice could be looking for. This allows their channel to be a huge resource for their followers and it means subscribers won’t have to look elsewhere to get the information they need.

Kara and Nate are high school sweethearts who travel the world and document their adventures on Youtube. Without really planning it, Youtube became the driving force in their careers as their hobby of travel turned into their lives! Check out their channel here.

Audience

Anyone looking for travel advice or advice on awesome places to visit next.

What sets their channel apart?

Kara and Nate started their channel with a clear goal: they wanted to visit 100 countries by Nate’s 30th birthday (and while they ended up pushing the deadline back to the end of 2019, their goal remains the same). Setting this goal gives their audience a story and theme to follow as they gradually build a relationship with them.

Kara and Nate also run a blog alongside their channel, where they break down their travel finances and provide followers with advice on “travel hacking”, such as how to effectively use miles and points when travelling. Linking this with their Youtube channel allows them to hit a wider audience and offer their audience more content and resources across their different outlets.

The fact that they’re extremely likeable and genuine in front of the camera means that they instantly win over anyone that comes across their videos. And in addition to engaging with their followers on the usual channels, they actually ran an organized tour with some of their followers last summer. Talk about building a relationship with your subscribers!

What can you learn from them?

Have a clear and well developed goal for your channel. Communicating this to your followers will allow them to identify with you and it creates a storyline for them to follow as they develop a relationship with you.

Link any material you have, such as blogs, books or social media channels that contain material relevant to your Youtube channel. Doing this increases your exposure and gives you various methods of sharing your knowledge.

The relationship with your followers will mean everything to your overall success. Your subscribers will obviously be the driving force behind your channel. Kara and Nate actually got together with some of their subscribers, which undoubtedly boosts their popularity! While that may be difficult for you at first, being consistent in answering comments and engaging with your followers is a solid place to start.

As described by himself, Mark Wiens is an eater, traveler, author, blogger, video host and coffee drinker who loves to eat delicious food. If this sounds like something you can relate to, take a trip over to his channel here.

Audience

People who are passionate about both travel and food.

What sets his channel apart?

Mark’s channel showcases his two different passions. Focusing on both food and travel makes Mark Wiens stand out in a crowd and gives his channel a unique sense of diversity.

He’s never afraid to try something new and his passion for good food (and extremely spicy food in particular) is truly contagious—you’ll never see anyone enjoy a bite of food more than he does. He also likes to get together with other Youtubers and food lovers to explore new places and try new dishes. But the real key to his success on Youtube is his personality full of positivity, energy and optimism.

In addition to his Youtube channel, Mark runs a food blog (which is how he got started originally) and he uses it as an extension of his brand, offering additional content, ebooks and merchandise.

What can you learn from him?

Consider combining two niches into one. Do you have more than one passion? You can customize what your channel is all about (like travel and food) and appeal to more than one type of audience that way.

Link to your blog. While selling products, books or services directly through your Youtube channel may not be your primary goal, if you have such items, using the channel as an outlet for marketing is a good way to get some free advertising, so don’t be afraid to do it!

Collaborate with other Youtubers, organizations or other brands. Mark works with different Youtubers, brands and organizations, without compromising the integrity or quality of his content. Plus, collaborating with other Youtubers can help you reach new audiences.

Raya is a travel and lifestyle vlogger and creator of the immensely popular “RayaWasHere” Youtube channel. She travels the world with the aim of sharing her awesome adventures with her audience. Take a look at what makes her channel so exciting here.

Audience

Anyone who has passion for adventure or is looking for inspiration to travel.

What sets her channel apart?

RayaWasHere features a variety of different series. Her main focus is on her travel adventures but she also features a series on personal growth and about her move to LA.

Her positivity and the optimistic and energetic delivery of her content really make Raya stand out. The videos on RayaWasHere are well edited with upbeat music and great camera work. Her positive attitude and confident delivery also make a significant difference in how her videos come across and give her channel an optimistic and inspiring vibe.

What can you learn from her?

If travel is your game, think of ways to get creative and reach an audience that might stretch further than what you originally anticipated. Raya features different series on her page to engage with a wider audience, which help her stand out from other travel vloggers.

Ensure your content is created, edited and delivered professionally. As you can see, competition is fierce out there on the Youtube playing field, and if you want to be the MVP you’re going to have to make sure your delivery is top notch. Don’t be intimidated, just be confident and ensure editing is done well before you hit that publish button.

Author channels
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Kristen Martin is a former employee of the corporate world turned stellar butt-kicking author. Her Youtube channel reaches out to subscribers with the aim of empowering creative entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and design a life either in writing or business that they will never want to leave. Take a look at her awesome channel here.

Audience

Writers or entrepreneurs looking to broaden their entrepreneurial horizons or improve their writing skills.

What sets her channel apart?

Kristen invites you to witness the everyday life of an author. Ever wondered what a typical day in the life of an author is like? You can find out on her channel. While other channels may provide tips and hacks for writing, Kristen Martin gets personal and detailed with you about how she spends her days and how her writing stands out against the competition.

Her channel includes multiple types of advice such as tips on writing, editing and publishing plus general inspiration. She even includes behind the scenes footage at writing events. Seeing what life is like as a published author and creative entrepreneur provides inspiration and helps subscribers understand what it takes to reach that level.

According to Kristen, the best advice she can give is: “Be completely transparent with your intentions. If you’re not honest with yourself and your audience as to why you’re vlogging, you’ll likely find it difficult to grow your viewership. For instance, I vlog as a way to show the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of being an author and creative entrepreneur—to show others what it might be like if they were to pursue a similar path.”

What can you learn from her?

Aim to let your viewers see life from your perspective. Be transparent with them and ensure they understand what your goals for your channel are and what you want them to take away from each video.

Find balance in what you’re doing and how much content you create. Posting regularly is important, but just like anything, pushing yourself too hard could have an adverse effect. According to Kristen: “There are some days when the thought of picking up the camera and doing anything creative feels overwhelming. On those days, I relax and take a break. I find that in those moments of relaxation—when I’m not even looking—that’s when creativity and inspiration will strike. If you’re feeling uninspired, it might be because you’re burnt out and thinking too much about ‘what to do next.’ Try being present in the current moment.”

Don’t aim to force inspiration. Have a clear goal for each video with a focus on a key takeaway for your audience, then run with it.

Vivien Reis is a published author and successful writing coach. She sets out to help her audience find inspiration and gain traction in becoming published authors and improving their writing ability. Jump over to her channel here.

Audience

Aspiring authors or people looking for writing tips and inspiration.

What sets her channel apart?

Vivien Reis uses positive, optimistic and encouraging introduction to kickstart her viewers’ inspirational juices. She also does personal videos like “10 questions about me” to really help her audience get to know her on a real level.

Vivien is clearly being herself in her videos—which is what makes her content great. As we’ve learned so far, being personable with your audience is essential in creating a successful Youtube channel. She is wonderfully authentic and her quirky and her positive attitude certainly leaves its mark on her audience.

Along with her tips on writing, Vivien also started a “write a novel in a week” challenge that encourages her audience to try something new. This is a great strategy for keeping viewers interested and ensuring they return for more.

What can you learn from her?

Create a powerful introduction for your audience. If you are just getting started, try to ensure your first video helps your audience get to know you on a personal level and aim to include visuals that set you apart from the crowd.

Aim to be yourself in your videos. Being personable with your subscribers is everything, so just relax and let your creative juices flow!

Don’t overdo it, but think of ways to integrate challenges or use questions to encourage your subscribers to dive a little deeper into your content. Engagement is key to retaining your following.

Jenna Moreci is author of The Savior’s Champion and EVE: The Awakening. Her Youtube channel is filled with awesome advice on how to write great fiction. Have a peek at her channel here.

Audience

Aspiring authors looking to improve their ability to write fiction or understand how to develop characters in their stories.

What sets her channel apart?

Jenna’s voice, style, and approach are all unique. She likes to include a lot of emojis and funny facial expressions to help personalize her content. This style is reflective of the fantasy genre she writes in, so really resonates well with her audience.

She also hosts guests on her channel to bring in new perspectives and start conversations. Bringing in guest writers to appear in her videos is a great way to give her audience a different perspective on her tips or back up the advice she is giving.

From time to time Jenna also organizes giveaways on her channel. Who doesn’t like winning stuff?!

What can you learn from her?

Do your research on competitors before you dive into your own channel. Check out what others are doing that you like, but then find a way to stand out from the rest.

If you know influencers who could make a difference on your channel, don’t be afraid to reach out to them. Even if you don’t, there is no harm in extending a branch to an influencer. Some of them will be glad for the exposure and having guests on your channel offers a different voice and perspective to your audience.

Use contests and giveaways to spark the interest of your audience and keep them engaged. Everybody likes the chance to win something, and this is a fun way to spice things up a bit from what you’re normally offering on your channel.

Photography
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Sorelle Amore has risen to become one of the worlds most followed and sought after influencers in the world of photography, how-to, travel and overall human optimisation. She focuses a lot of her content on photography tips and inspiration for maintaining a positive outlook on life. Have a look at her channel here.

Audience

Photographers and anyone looking for inspiration.

What sets her channel apart?

Sorelle Amore’s content is truly one-of-a-kind. Sure, there are other photography and life-lesson Youtube influencers out there but Sorelle Amore stands out from the crowd because her content is unique to her personality. Aside from her regular videos containing photography tips and inspiration, she also includes videos about her own life such as “this year almost broke me,” which builds a real connection.

She aims to create videos that are both special and meaningful. So naturally, her number one advice when creating content is: “Stop copying—this is one hundred percent something I have always tried to abide by. Try not to simply create a ‘pretty thing,’ there are too many people trying to create pretty things online without any purpose or substance. Substance is the big one.”

Sorelle’s content is incredibly diverse. She includes content varying from how to take the perfect selfie to how to travel by yourself. This unique level of diversity allows her to attract many types of people looking for different content.

Here’s what she told us about her creative process: “Look for sources outside of your industry in order to pull inspiration from elsewhere. I would do this a lot, for example I’d watch vlogs from beauty channels or lifestyle channels to incorporate elements of this into my channel. I will always research very broadly around particular topics, and if I find something that seems to fit with what I do, then I’ll roll with it!”

What can you learn from her?

Aim to deliver content that’s as creative and different as possible. Don’t be afraid to take a look at something outside your niche to come up with something new.

Do your research and be creative in order to find content that stands out. Instead of looking at what your competitors do and then copying it, think about what they don’t do or interesting things that might be missing in work similar to yours.

Don’t blend in. Look for inspiration and content that will make you stand out. This will make a huge difference in how many eyes you can catch when trying to expand your audience.

Skyler Burt is an award winning photographer turned Youtube entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. He has traveled the globe creating world class food photography for 12 years. Hop over to his channel here.

Audience

Anyone interested in photography or food!

What sets his channel apart?

Production skills really make Skyler Burt’s channel stand out. Of course this would be expected of a professional photographer, but the delivery of his videos truly makes him special.

Skyler also focuses solely on food photography and photography skills and doesn’t deviate from it. This strong level of focus allows him to pull in a very specific audience and dive deep into content that is highly relevant to his subscribers. Here’s his advice to anyone wanting to start out on Youtube: “Building a channel, for me, has really been about finding and solving people’s problems in my food photography niche. Some people are inherently funny, famous or live exciting lives, but I think a lot more people have particular skills that are also just as interesting. You don’t have to be a ‘master’ of that skill either, you simply have to be willing to learn and share as much as you can.”

Skyler’s channel is full of unique and interesting content, so we asked him how he comes up with all these fresh video ideas: “A lot of the ideas I have for content come from the long list of questions I had myself when first starting out in food photography. Every shoot comes with it’s own set of problems, which I find always makes for good content. Most likely if you had to overcome an obstacle, there are going to be a bunch of other people struggling to overcome the exact same thing in their lives.”

Plus, for anyone who wants to dive even deeper, Skyler offers food photography courses on his website. (Insider tip: use the promo code “99designs” to get 40% off any of his courses.)

What can you learn from him?

Make use of intelligent camera angles, lighting, and general production skills. Skyler Burt’s channel is as beautiful as his photography. If photography or video production is your thing (and even if it isn’t), take note of how he delivers his content.

If you have a specific niche for a specific audience, stick to it. If you really want to create content that resonates with your audience, keep your videos relative to your focus. Leading your subscribers off track could result in a loss of interest.

Be consistent, keep going and give it 100%. We asked Skyler what advice he’d give to his younger self and here’s what he told us: “There are a few things I’ve learned over the years and a big one would be consistency and sticking with my dream throughout both the hard as well as the easy times. I see a lot of missed opportunities in my career, mainly because I was afraid it wouldn’t work out, but now I know that pretty much anything works given enough energy and time.”

Channels with a unique niche
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Maya Washington, or “Shameless Maya” as she’s known in the online world, is a Youtube sensation who pretty much covers anything from online dating to how to edit film on your smartphone. She is versatility personified! Check out her exciting channel here.

Audience

Almost anyone looking for advice on almost anything!

What sets her channel apart?

Maya initiated her channel with the proposition of “what would happen if i shamelessly promoted myself for a year?” 1.1 million new subscribers is what happens!

Another standout aspect of her channel is the colorful and unique style of her videos. She uses a lot of trendy and stylish fonts and colors to make her videos stand out. This is very reflective of her personality and gives her channel a special feel.

What can you learn from her?

Ask a question or make a proposition to incite the interest of your audience. This is a great way to instantly connect with your subscribers and encourage engagement.

Be unique in your style and presentation! Think of your personality and how you want to appear to your followers. Ultimately you want to be yourself, but if you’re as colorful and quirky as Maya, don’t be afraid to put it out there!

Tim Schmoyer is a Youtube strategist who started using Youtube as a way of introducing his family to his girlfriend across the country. When people started to engage with his videos he started “Video Creators.” Tim maintains his channel with the aim of helping his subscribers develop their own Youtube channels. Check out his channel here.

Audience

Anyone looking to boost their influence on Youtube or start a channel from scratch.

What sets his channel apart?

Each video Tim releases is consistent in terms of style and design. This allows his followers to recognize his work and means they will know what to expect from each video.

According to Tim: “No one consumes content unless they feel like it’s for them and that it provides some kind of value. So you need to know exactly who your most ideal subscriber is, what kind of value they want from your story, and then deliver on that every single time.”

Additionally, each of his videos includes a clear takeaway for the viewer. Viewers will know what they can expect from watching Tim’s videos—and he clearly knows exactly what his viewers are interested in.

Tim explains: “Know who your audience is in the first place. When you’re small and starting out, you have the unique opportunity to pick who your audience becomes based on the content you create that’s made specifically for them. The more intimately you know who it is you’re going after on YouTube and the better you consistently provide value to them, the more it will resonate with your audience, which will lead to more watch time, higher view durations, increased viewer loyalty and all the things that make your channel grow in YouTube’s search and discovery systems.”

What can you learn from him?

Focus on your niche and understand your audience before jumping in to releasing your content.

Ensure you’re creating content that will resonate with your audience. Having a unique style and design is important to get people to click the play button on your videos, but having content that clearly provides your audience with knowledgeable advice goes a long way in keeping them returning for more.

Stand out in your design and the content you deliver. It’s a competitive world out there and blending in will do only so much. You know you have an awesome idea, so put it out there to the Youtube masses in a way that will really connect with your desired audience.

Matt D’Avella is a filmmaker, minimalist and podcaster who created a Youtube channel to educate people about the life of a minimalist. His award winning documentary Minimalism is available on Netflix. Check out his channel here.

Audience

Anyone and everyone!

What sets his channel apart?

It’s not surprising that the design of a minimalist Youtube channel would be done with a minimalistic design. It sounds funny but Matt D’Avella’s channel is designed beautifully in a way that reflects what he believes in.

He’s really consistent in his design and content. Matt focuses strongly on his niche market and his material resonates with his audience. Each video he produces is consistent in style with the last, making it easy to connect and stay engaged with his content.

What can you learn from him?

If you have a particular focus such as minimalism, abstract art, photography, etc, aim to design your channel with this in mind. As we see in Matt’s channel, his personality and goals reflect nicely with the design of his channel. This helps him forge a strong connection with his audience and demonstrates professionalism in his niche.

Ensure you remain consistent with your content (unless you’re trying to deliberately be inconsistent). Staying consistent with your content means your audience will be able to recognize your work and will go a long way to being personable and forging a lasting relationship with your subscribers.

Stand out from the crowd
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Now that you understand what makes the above Youtube entrepreneurs stand out from the rest, take the best points and aim to integrate them into the production of your own channel. Trust us, the results will follow.

Hard work and consistency are two of the most important traits when developing your channel with the aim of growing your business on Youtube, so make sure you don’t lose momentum. Be yourself, stick with it and enjoy the boost Youtube can provide your brand.